Tuesday, November 28, 2017

MADISON – Today, State Superintendent Tony Evers announced
he is firing the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) in representing the
Department of Public Instruction after being denied from choosing his own legal
representation. Governor Walker and Attorney General Brad Schimel are
attempting to force Evers to use their own hand-picked attorneys – who have
already said they oppose Tony's position in this most recent lawsuit.

“I just have one thing to say to Scott Walker’s hand-picked
lawyers -- you’re fired,” Evers said.
“You’re fired for abusing your power in order to force your right-wing
agenda on our public schools. You’re
fired because, in a democracy, the Governor doesn’t get to choose his opponents
on the ballot or his opponent’s lawyers in court.”

Evers is once again being sued by the right-wing think tank,
the Wisconsin Institute on Law and Liberty (WILL), on whether Evers, an
independent constitutional officer recently re-elected with 70% of the vote,
needs Governor Walker's approval to make rules and regulations affecting our
schools. The Wisconsin Supreme Court
already found Walker’s power-grab unconstitutional last year. To ensure a
victory this go around, last week Walker is trying to ensure his lawyers
represent both sides of the case.

Earlier today, Evers was joined by Lester Pines, a Madison
attorney who successfully defended the Superintendent’s independent authority
last year.

“Attorney General Brad Schimel and his minions have embraced
“post-truth politics.” They have concocted a fantasy that they are pedaling as
true: that the decision in Coyne v Walker, which clearly held that the Governor
could have no control over the Superintendent of Public Instruction’s rule
making, means absolutely nothing. Deliberately ignoring a Supreme Court
decision is unprecedented and dangerous."

“I will never stop
fighting for our kids and I refuse to be intimidated by Walker's efforts to
silence me. The only way to put an end
to this nonsense is to defeat Walker next November.” Evers concluded.